These photographs are of the ruins of structures, the first of which were constructed by the Standard Portland Cement Co. (which stopped operating about 1935, according to Rebecca Yerger’s 1999 article “Standard Portland Cement Comany,” published in the Napa Valley Register). In the later years of its operation, the cement works were operated by the Santa Cruz Portland Cement Co. The Basalt Rock Co. constructed more buildings, the three silos, and the rotunda on the property in the late 1940s through the early 1950s.
These ruins are located on private property, so permission needs to be obtained before entering the property. I hope you will be able to look past the colorful “artwork” on the walls. For historical information on the Standard Portland Cement Co. and Basalt Rock Co. operations, visit the Napa Junction quarry section of our web site. (These photographs were taken in May 2011 by Peggy B. and Pat Perazzo. We'd like to hear from you if you have any information on these old companies or have knowledge of the location of the companies' records, floor plans for the buildings, or old photographs.)
Closeup of top portion of the roof inside the Basalt Rock Co. rotunda |
Looking from the wood rotunda to the taller cement silos constructed by Basalt Rock Co. |
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